RIP Les Barker

 

RIP Les Barker. Les Barker, who died on January 15, 2023 in Oswestry, West Midlands, England, U.K., was a poet/performer and author much admired on the folk scene. Born in Manchester, England on January 30, 1947, the only child of Miriam (nee Crabtree) and George Barker, who owned a newsagent shop, Les attended Manchester grammar school. He was a bright lad and after training at Manchester College became a chartered accountant, working at the city’s town hall until 1982. But he found it boring. His real talent was in writing silly poems, which he would perform at local folk clubs. He soon became a regular at folk clubs and festivals all over Great Britain. In 1989, he formed the Mrs Ackroyd Band with Hilary Spencer, Alison Younger and Chris Harvey, putting his words to music. Barker appeared in the futuristic Euro-western “Welcome to Blood City (1976) starring Jack Palance in the credited role of 3^rd citizen.